Rockets out of tune with Mike D'Antoni coaching hire

New Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni is far removed from his glory days in Phoenix, and his coaching style seems an odd fit with his new team's roster.

New Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni is far removed from his glory days...

And you thought Bob McNair had a tough time.

There's no way to realistically compare the value of an NFL franchise quarterback to the impact of an NBA head coach. But there is the fact that after years of blatantly ignoring the masses, McNair finally met his paying customers halfway when Brock Osweiler suddenly became a Texan.

Les Alexander, after laughing at our public pleas and then giving Mike D'Antoni the keys to Toyota Center?

Ha ha. The man who loves his rich-guy toys sure as heck isn't listening to you.

The broken Rockets required the right coach almost as much as the Texans were in desperate need of a real QB. That's how important this decision was for general manager Daryl Morey and Alexander's franchise, which has been past the first round of the playoffs only twice in the last 19 years and is coming off an insulting 41-41 season that was more horrendous than the record shows.

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Brian T. Smith

Immediately at stake: Dwight Howard's future residence, James Harden's career arc, more lotteryesque mediocrity versus eyeing the top of the Western Conference again.

Long term: Morey's job, Harden's future team, and any shot the Rockets have at winning their first NBA title since 1995.

So what did Alexander do when everyone who's watched his team the last few years knows Harden hates playing defense almost as much as he despises shaving?

The man who can buy anything appears to have bought the wrong thing.

Do they accept coaching returns at the league office? Asking for a friend.

I have a lot of respect for D'Antoni's offensive brain — he helped invent the modern NBA attack in Phoenix of all places — and it's impossible to say in May what the new Rockets will look like next April. Morey has more weight on his shoulders than anyone in the organization, and his sudden chess moves have pleasantly shocked us all before.

But remember this as you try to accept D'Antoni as the new guy:

The Rockets will tell you they intentionally took their sweet, deliberate time making a decision that will affect them for years. But you're smarter than that. D'Antoni was waiting there all along. And you know there's a reason 29 other teams had coaches Thursday morning while no one else was craving the man to whom the Rockets decided to hand shoot-first Harden.(D)'Antoni, meet Har(d)en. Have fun.

I wish I could say I was just being defensive and giving the Rockets a hard time. But then I checked my Twitter timeline. Brutal — and I mean brutal. And that's being nice.

"No-D 'Antoni is a totally uninspiring choice. A regrettable hire."

"One of the most questionable coaching hires I've ever seen."

"Excited for Rockets to continue to be AWFUL!!!"

"Les should cash out on the NBA and allow someone to bring an NHL team in to play at Toyota Center."

"Harden scoring 60-plus a game (will) be exciting ... until we realize the other teams are scoring 120-plus on us."

Just a gut feeling. But I don't think any of those quotes is going to make the team's press release.

Alexander was warned: Do the right thing — go young and bright.

Rising Charlotte assistant Stephen Silas was the smart choice. The Rockets' national search firm of Shaggy and Scooby-Doo interviewed about 52 other candidates during a process that lasted almost as long as the playoffs, with many viewed as potential ahead-of-the-curve answers.

But Alexander did what he's always done since the last golden ball arrived in Houston. He went with the big, splashy name. He refused to build slow, overlooked the long-term play, and simply bought the most expensive thing.

Which is fine if D'Antoni, 65, somehow magically resurrects his career and does in the fourth-largest city in the country what he failed to do in Los Angeles and New York. But that currently feels as reasonable as Harden's making the all-defensive team.

One of the greatest offensive players in the league was left off all three All-NBA teams on the same day D'Antoni was hired, which tells you just how much of a risk Alexander is taking at this critical point in Harden's career.

The Rockets must regroup around The Weird Beard, then refocus and redirect their star to have any shot at being a true contender in the coming years. D'Antoni was dragged down by dysfunction during his last two head coaching jobs and has never been known for full-court discipline. He's the man who can turn 41-41 into better than what Kevin McHale did?

Nothing about this hire feels right. So let's have D'Antoni prove us wrong.

Install a real offensive system, instead of just having Harden dribble around until the clock shrinks down, then try to get fouled or play hero ball. Trust your assistants to create the defense the Rockets haven't had since Kelvin Sampson took a job across town. Disinfect the locker room, demand a full buy-in as soon as training camp begins, then keep kicking Harden's butt until he understands that 82-game leadership has nothing to do with making it rain buckets.

It's been eight long years since D'Antoni did anything like that. The entire league has changed since. There's been LeBron James' Decisions, the rise of the Thunder and Warriors, Harden and Howard in Houston, and the Rockets falling apart just when they were supposed to ascend.

Buy your season tickets now if you believe Alexander chose the man to fix everything.

But right now, Alexander is making McNair look good. And I have a suspicious feeling there might be a few open phone lines at Toyota Center.